Juvenile Klaas's Cuckoo

We have spend the last 14 days observing the bizarre behaviour of a juvenile Klaas’s Cuckoo and its adopted Cape Batis parents. These birds seem to love the riverine environment hovering from 2m to 5m high in the trees. This hungry cuckoo chick has demanded to be fed from 08:00 till way past 18:00 exhausting its worn-weary, super-stressed adoptive parents.

Cuckoos have parasitic breeding habits, laying one egg at a time in another species’ nest. The mother cuckoo waits for the unsuspecting female bird to lay her own eggs and then when a moment arises, the mother cuckoo lays an egg in the adopted nest and leaves. When the cuckoo chick hatches, it tosses the other eggs or fledglings out of the nest so that there is only one chick in the nest, mouth open waiting to be fed by the ‘unsuspecting newly adopted parents’.

Cape Batis parent

Even once the cuckoo chick is old enough to fly and seemingly big enough to hunt for itself, it continues to demand feeding.

We watched and heard these tiny Cape Batis parents, frantically catching insects for their ever-hungry, taxing, oversized chick. One wonders is nature cruel or clever here?

Bird-ringing in the Cederberg

Understanding the impact of the environment on a bird’s habits, helps us to understand the impact nature has on us.

Our friend, Sue Schultz, is a licensed bird ringer. She has rung nearly 1 000 birds during 2011 and many of these in the Cederberg, recording their names, location, sex, weight and age. She measures the tail feather lengths, length of head and bill, bill length, length of scapular and number of primary and secondary wing feathers. She also records whether the bird has been incubating eggs recently. She does this by blowing on the belly of the bird to see if there is a naked brood patch. In some species both sexes incubate the eggs. All this information is captured and logged onto the University of Cape Town’s ornithology department’s database. This information is used worldwide to trace the movements and behaviour of birds especially during climatic and environmental changes.

We spent a few hours a day, watching and helping Sue. She was also able to educate many fellow campers who showed an interest in her research. This is just a tiny part of a far bigger research project. Looking at the countless hours put into research, many with no remuneration, gives one a renewed respect for all scientists.

This year we shall be 12 people on 2 campsites. The sites are large so there is plenty of space for tents, cars, recreational and ‘bush kitchen’ equipment. This is the list of our equipment:

• Camping equipment: tents, tent poles, tent pegs, mallet, shade cloth groundsheet, awning, awning poles, awning pegs, camping chairs, tables, washing up table,  extension lead, electric multiplug, gas bottles, paraffin lamp, paraffin, gas plates, gas lamp, extra filaments, gas bottle key, washing line, axe, braai grid, braai spade, potjie pot, tripod stand, 5 litre water cooler, camping deep freeze, cooler box, ice bricks, charcoal, wood, sleeping bags, pillows, blankets, mattresses, mattress pump, tabard, citronella candles, toolbox, spare car keys, compressor, tow rope, jumper cables, First Aid Kit
• Kitchen equipment: matches, wash up bowl, kettle, jug, pots, salad bowls, salad servers, cutlery,knives, cereal bowls, plates, paper plates, jaffle iron, glasses, cups, mugs, washing up brush, washing up cloths, washing up liquid, hand washing powder, drying up cloths, pegs, braai tongs, tin opener, scissors, chopping boards, colander, grater, bath plug, potato peeler, toilet paper, paper towel, wooden spoons, tin foil, cling wrap, small containers, black bags

Food is a major part of being on holiday, catering for everyone’s tastes and preferences.  When we go away with friends, we cater for our own breakfasts and lunches and only share the evening meal. A menu needs to be planned as the nearest shops are more than 25km away. Our supper menu this year is:

Outdoor Kitchen

Day 1: chicken braai, baked potatoes in tinfoil, coleslaw and fresh rolls. Toasted marshmallows for pudding.

Day 2: spicy chicken potjie with potatoes, onions, carrots, peaches, peas, mushrooms and rice

Day 3: fish braai, couscous salad, garden salad, homemade braai bread and jam

Day 4: lamb knuckles potjie with bacon, potatoes, onions, carrots, beans, mushrooms, peaches and rice

Day 5: chicken pasta with red, green, yellow peppers, mushrooms, cream, parmesan and a garden salad. Peaches and custard for pudding

Day 6: ribs, chops and sausage braai, potato salad, garden salad, curried corn salad, braai bread and jam. Toasted marshmallows for pudding.

Day 7: chilli con carnie using mince, red kidney beans on baked potato, braaied butternut and gem squash in tinfoil. Fruit salad and custard for pudding.

Day 8: spaghetti bolognese with mince and topped with cheese. Garden salad using the last of the fresh produce.

What we all look forward to is:  catching some sun, swimming in clear mountain water, early morning walks, drawing and painting,  playing board games with friends and reading, reading, reading.

Click on the photographs below to enlarge.

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Tell us about your camping experiences – where do you go, what do you take with you, and what do you like to eat when camping outdoors.

Scott and Julie

This hike is so popular that one needs to book a year in advance to secure your spot. It’s belongs to Cape Nature and is just outside Bredarsdorp in the DeHoop Nature and Marine Reserve on the Southern Cape coast.They allow for 12 people per trail over the 5 day hike hence there are 60 people hiking between the various campsites daily.

On a Sunday, we left Cape Town at 1pm to arrive at Potberg Base camp at 4pm. We carried our hiking ‘stuff’ into the hut where there was bunk beds, kitchen, toilet and shower facilities with the braaing area outside. As we were to discover along our hike, all the huts were very similar. As there were six of us, we met up with the other six, three elderly German couples. We aquainted ourselves with each other over the braai with the wine and beer flowing.

We all took the ‘easy’ option of ‘slek packing’ where you pay R300 and you can have your ‘stuff’ (sleeping bag, food, wine, clothing, etc) placed into your own large plastic container that gets transported from camp to camp by Cape Nature.

8pm or so was bed time to get up early the next day to start this AMAZING hike.

Monday morning – Day 1

Potberg to Cupidoskraal – 15km

Brekkies (everyone sorts themselves out), then after that getting yourself ready with your ‘day pack’. In your back pack: water, lunch, camera and binoculars. We set off at 7am.

This leg of the hike is the most strenuous as it was mostly uphill. Along the way were baboons, luckily quite far distance away, gliding Cape vultures and spectacular views. As we reached the top which is the highest point of the trail, you are overwhelmed by the splendour of it all with such an array of flora specifically that of the fynbos. Apparently there are both Erica and Protea species that only grow here and no where else in the world.

Winding Breede River

The winding Breede River below you and the Swellendam and Langeberg Mountains on the horizon, are all part of this visual feast. This day however was not without its change of weather patterns from coolish to hot, to a light drizzle, then the wind blowing, to humidity, to quite a heavy downpour and then to finally arrive about 8 hours later at our camp for the night in overcast conditions.

After a shower, cuppa hot coffee and some warm clothing, all 12 of us got to chat in the kitchen about our day whilst preparing supper.

Day 2 (the reason I say this besides it being the second day of the trip, is you actually don’t remember what day of the week it is anyway)

Cupidoskraal to Noetsie – 14.7km

After the usual getting ready in the morning, we left onto what seemed like a lot of twisting and turning paths. Noticeable  every 2kms there’s a rock with the indication as to how far you’ve gone. Along the entire trail there are a few cairns of rocks stacked up against each other. This is apparently where there is the best cellphone reception. Some decided to phone home, check up on SMS’s however the main reason for this is in the event of an emergency en route, you’ll remember where the last cairn was so as to call Cape Nature to assist. Luckily we never got to ‘test’ this out.

With about a km to go you hear the sound of the sea and smell it which is distinctively different to the past two days of the fynbos smells. As we walked over the ridge with our hut there next to the sea, we were greeted by a whale and her calf quite near to us. It was almost as if it was their way of officially welcoming us to The Whale Trail.

After settling in, we went to sit under the open air gazebo between our A-frame huts and the sea. Supper was a braai.  A delicious supper with good wine, the sea just a few feet away, the amazing stars that we don’t get to see back home and the total relaxation all together after another good day’s hike. This made us all rather sleepy and so off to bed.

Day 3

Noetsie to Hamerkop – 7.8km

Well that’s what we were supposed to do, however Cape Nature and Denel (part of Armscor) had other plans. Everyone at each of the respective camps, were evacuated and picked up in bakkies to be taken back to base camp. The reason was that the German airforce was doing missile testing and the Whale Trail was in it’s flight path. For obvious security and protection reasons, we all had to be in a safe place. This apparently happens once in a while and November seems to be the best time of the year. After a rather bumpy ride which took over an hour, we got into base camp wet as there was a light downpour. Our smiles soon returned at the sight of hot coffee and brekkies awaiting us. We were briefed in a presentation by both companies and an apology of inconveniencing us all. The weather conditions got worse with heavy winds and intermittent heavy downpours. Had we been on our hike, we would’ve been soaked and quite miserable. So I guess all in all a blessing in disguise. After lunch we were back in the bakkies to our next camp.

The first two days were great, day 3 was disappointing as the rhythm of the hike was broken – bring on day 4.

Day 4

Hamerkop to Vaalkrans – 10.5km

About 90 % of this was walking either on beach sand or on the rocky pathway alongside it. Although it was tough, there was no rush to get to our next hut. We took it easy again taking in all the views and life we encounted – more whales, a seal, a few dung beatles (hard at work), oystercatchers with their red bills and legs and the variety of so many rock pools with their respective life forms.

After what seemed a hard day of hiking and tired legs and by this stage some blisters, none of this seemed to matter as we spotted the last hut to sleep in. It was as if Cape Nature left the best till last. WOW!!!

The hut had a spectacular view of a cove where the waves continually rolled in and bashed against the walls with the spray of water getting higher and higher. Although one knows it, here you could see just how powerful the sea actually is. Definitely a force to be respected.

Our last supper of the trail with the twelve of us reminincing over the past few days. We were inside the kitchen near the fireplace as it turned out to be a rather chilly evening.

The last of the food was eaten, the wine and other beverages consumed and to sleep at the end of a wonderful day.

Day 5

Vaalkrans to Koppie Alleen – 7km

An easy hike with some beaches, but walking mostly through the thicket. It’s one last chance to take in the scenic landscapes and simply put – the beauty of it all. Upon our arrival at the end point, there is a boardwalk where you can explore more rock pools and walk up and down the sand dunes. We called Cape Nature and within an hour we were picked up and taken back to base camp where our cars were thankfully where we had left them. Farewells all round and back into the cars to head back home.

While being a passenger, I looked at all the photos I took and smiled as I recollected all the various experiences.

God sure knew what He was doing and must’ve smiled broadly while making THE WHALE TRAIL.

They had lots of good recommendations about interesting places to visit while doing Kruger National Park, Cape Town, and the Garden Route, just to name a few. In doing so, they took into account the composition of our family. They even had prepared workbooks for the kids about South Africa and our trip.

Also, they were marvelous when selecting and arranging appropriate lodging, and affordable rental cars. So, in short, it is with great pleasure that we recommend Scott and Julie for all your South Africa trips.

Tanya and Ben Fikket of The Netherlands, August 2009

(review written in November 2011)

We formed the company ‘All Africa Tours’ so that we could help you make your travel dreams come true. The world is such a beautiful place filled with so many amazing different cultures. Our aim is to help you have the most memorable holidays.

Featured Tours

Go to our newest Featured Tour to read about a trip we designed for a couple this year in August. Also visit YouTube to view a short clip of their romantic holiday.

School Trips

We also design school trips that educate and enable children to appreciate nature, cultures and the achievements of man. See Educational Tours for more details.

This is also a new adventure for us and we are very excited to journey with you. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Please contact us for more information and ideas.

God bless
Scott and Julie

The tour operator had an excellent rapport with the pupils, being informative, fun, as well as ensuring that the pupils were polite and well behaved. Great care was taken over the security and safety of the pupils. Tour manual….an interesting, informative and well researched manual was given to each pupil before the commencement of the tour. Pupils completed various tasks either en route , on site or back at school. All areas of the curriculum were included. Videoing…..extensive and professional footage was taken by the tour operator of each activity, as well of early wake up calls! Pupils were presented with an excellent and entertaining dvd at a very reasonable cost. As the teacher assisting Julie, our tour guide, memories of this excellent tour will remain with me forever. Highly recommended. A FIVE STAR EXPERIENCE !!!!!!

Sally Stewart, Cape Town SA, May 2010
(written in September 2011)

We arrived in Johannesburg, hired a people carrier and drove to Kruger Park.  We had been pre-booked into Kruger and we spent a wonderful 6 days there.  From there we travelled to the Eastern Transvaal and the Drakensberg Mountains where we stayed at Sani Pass. We then drove down to Cape Town stopping for a few nights as Cape St Frances and  Knysna.  An unforgetable adventure for the whole family. Plenty to do and see for all. We’ll definitely use All Africa Tours again.

Linda Barker of Leicester UK, July 2007
(review written in August 2011)

Linda Barker (far left)

I always had something to do, Mrs Womack even organized activities for us to do on the bus. The accommodation was amazing, Addo Elephant was my favourite. Mrs Womack catered for all the different interests of the girls in my class, when it came to the activities and accommodation. She catered for those who love the outdoors by organizing for us to stay at Addo Elephant, game driving and canoeing at The Wilderness. She also catered for those who love indoor activities more than outdoor activities by organizing for us to stay at a really fancy hotel and spending time at Knysna Waterfront. The different activities were so much fun and I learnt so much. There was no activity that I did not enjoy. I would definitely go on this trip again. It was an amazing camp that I’ll never forget and brought our entire class closer together.

Chelsea Muir, Grade 9 Rustenburg Girls’ High, Cape Town, August 2011

Chelsea (on the Left)

The girls were kept busy and I thought that the flip files were an excellent idea. The parents thoroughly enjoyed paging through the files and seeing what their daughters got up to. The DVD that was posted to us was well edited and gave a good reflection of the tour. The girls enjoyed watching the DVD and we had many laughs as we spotted all the crazy things that we did. I am sure they will treasure their copy for a long time.

I thought it was great that Julie’s husband and daughter joined us for some of the activities. It gave the tour a ‘family feeling’ and they helped the girls quite a bit. All the places that we visited were well thought out and the activities in the flip files related well to these places. The girls loved the free time they were given but I do think they would have enjoyed more free time at the beach. The best part of the trip for me was having dinner on Clifton Beach. It was great to see how ‘Capetonians’ live and what us Jo-burgers are missing out on! It was truly beautiful and the girls had so much fun playing on the beach at sunset. The girls thoroughly enjoyed Table Mountain and tobogganing. It was great to do a fun activity and for them to experience something different. Julie’s idea of allowing the girls to order their own food at the restaurants was fantastic and the girls felt very independent.

I am extremely impressed with All Africa Tours and I will definitely consider using them again for future tours. Julie is fantastic at what she does, and it is clear that she has a true passion for children and Cape Town. Thank you to Julie and her family for a wonderful tour, the girls will never forget it! Many new friendships were made and lasting memories were created.

Claire Button, St Andrew’s Girls’ School, Johannesburg SA, November 2011

Claire (on the right)

The idea of a trip overseas was too overwhelming to ‘make happen’, so much easier to dream, until we spent time over a cuppa with Scott and Julie and their contagious enthusiasm for travel.

Now only excitement reins, and confidence in an adventure of a lifetime. Our journey started the day our flights were booked, and Scott and Julie have walked with us all the way, from booking the most affordable flights and vehicle, sourcing accommodation (what fun cyber travelling through quaint European villages to select havens to lay our heads), fine-tuning our limited budget to get the best out of our trip, and even to selecting our luggage!

Merci, et Grazie Mille, All Africa Tours!

Vita and Albert Tredoux, Cape Town SA, August 2011

Albert and Vita in Italy